Protect Your Car During Windstorms

Windstorms have rocked the Pacific Northwest recently, with the National Weather Service reporting wind gusts of 40 mph in Tacoma, and gusts as high as 70 mph at the coast. Along with the strong winds come a host of problems, most common being power outages and storm related damage. Many times this storm damage occurs to vehicles in the form of falling trees.

Can you prevent this? In certainty, probably not. But, as a property owner there are steps you can take to mitigate trees falling on your property. Here are some steps to take:

Have your trees inspected by a certified Arborist.

Start with an arborist to learn what to look for, then perform your own inspections each year after.

Inspect the four "zones" of the tree.

The overall tree.

Is it leaning? Are there dead branches?

The ground around the tree.

Is there cracked or raised soil? Do you see fungus?

Inspect the trunk.

Is there missing bark? Do you see an unusual insect population?

Where trunks intersect, do you see cracks?

Inspect the canopy.

Are there large areas of dead leaves or needles?

Any of these findings could indicate a tree in poor health. Call a certified arborist if any of these conditions exist.
A couple of the most common types of damage we see to cars from windstorms include: